Fundamental Questions regarding the V11

[Guest Island Moose]

Greetings,

 

I am considering the purchase of a 2001 V11 Sport in green and red. It features a flyscreen, seat cowl, steering damper and Mistral pipes.

 

I have scoured the various sites, and the postings here, but I am left with a few questions concerning the bike, and I'm hoping you might collectively answer them:

 

1. I have yet to read a review of the V11 Sport that really addresses performance as it relates to its market competition...in other words...how does this bike perform (acceleration, handling, braking) when compared to the FZ1 (Fazer), the Triumph Triple and the Honda 900 Hornet? Clearly this machine is not designed to run with the R1's and the ZX-10's....but where is it in the "pack"?

 

2. I just sold a 2004 DL1000K4 "V-Strom". It actually put my right hand to sleep after about an hour, to the point where I would need to shake it out approaching a corner for fear of being unable to pull the lever! I've never expereinced vibration like that on a bike, even after 60K kms on an 80" Harley. The HD vibes were of a much lower frequency, and didn't "hurt". Can you describe the vibration in the grips of the V11? Is it a known problem? Is it a throbbing or a "buzz"?

 

Thank you for your help.

[not_scooter_Scura!]

my take on it off course:

 

1. I don't think it even fits in that 'pack', & that is not a bad thing, handling above average, brakes very good for weight, performance - what you would expect from that engine design with a few concessions to modernity.

 

It will be rare for the Guzzi to be tested against the bikes you mention because it is a very different take on motorcycling all together (yet very pure).

 

maybe nore like this: http://bikepoint.ninemsn.com.au/portal/ali...topDefault.aspx

 

 

I can direct you to a test on the Coppa Italia or a 'comparision' on the LeMans v. RSV Mille (that is a great little video).

 

put another way.... you will have lots of fun trying to keep up with the bikes you mention & if you show them a clean pair of heals then you are very fast & very smooth, the way these bikes are meant to be ridden.

 

2. throb, definately throb, glorious old school v-twin , make you smile>>>throb...& that's not even the hand part of the anatomy

 

can eat miles all day for me.

 

n_s_S!

[orangeokie]

. . . I can direct you to a test on the Coppa Italia or a 'comparision' on the LeMans v. RSV Mille (that is a great little video).. . .

57949[/snapback]

 

 

I would be interested in a link to both. Thanks.

[Skeeve]

...

It will be rare for the Guzzi to be tested against the bikes you mention because it is a very different take on motorcycling all together (yet very pure).

 

maybe nore like this: http://bikepoint.ninemsn.com.au/portal/ali...topDefault.aspx

...

57949[/snapback]

 

Great article!

Interesting:

"In fact, I still can't decide which of the four I'd buy after a further week of sampling. Probably not the Guzzi, but only on price alone. It's a fair bit more expensive than the others, and the Ohlins suspension just isn't that exclusive."

 

They liked the Guzzi, but in comparision, it was 1/3 again as expensive as any of the others, roughly $A 22k vs. $A 15k for the rest (except the Hog, which was $A 24k) What's up w/ that? Even the Beemer & Aprilia, which are more expensive or even in price w/ the Scura stateside were down in the 15k price range. Why are Guzzi's so friggin' expensive down under, even in comparison to their direct price competition everywhere else?

 

Seems fishy to me.

 

No wonder Guzzi has trouble selling enough #s to make break-even...

 

Ride on,

 

[orangeokie]

. . . Why are Guzzi's so friggin' expensive down under, even in comparison to their direct price competition everywhere else?

 

Seems fishy to me.

 

No wonder Guzzi has trouble selling enough #s to make break-even... 

 

Ride on,

 

57969[/snapback]

 

 

It seems guzzis are more expensive due to labor costs . . . they are virtually "hand built." A modern factory with robotic assembly line (ala John Bloor's Triumph) would do wonders for driving the cost down. All it takes is a fire and insurance settlement.

[Guzzirider]

I have ridden my V11 flat out next to a V Strom on the NW200 course and the power is similar- maybe a little more bottom end on the Guzzi but a few more top end MPH on the V Strom.

 

The important thing is that they make a lot of torque- mine has peaked at 72 ft lbs on the dyno which is slightly more than a standard Ducati 999 or an Aprilia Mille even though the Guzzi is way down on bhp

 

Yes they do vibrate but it only gets noticeable after a few hours on the motorway.

 

Guy

[Skeeve]

It seems guzzis are more expensive due to labor costs . . . they are virtually "hand built."  A modern factory with robotic assembly line (ala John Bloor's Triumph) would do wonders for driving the cost down.  All it takes is a fire and insurance settlement.

57972[/snapback]

 

That's fine for the comparison w/ the J-brand bikes in the article, but the Beemer & Priller are no different in most respects. Somewhere, the math just doesn't add up: 15k A$ = 11.5k US$; 22k A$ = 16.9k US$. I've got to be honest: I've loved Guzzi's ever since Cycle had that red LMII on the cover back in '76? '78? That more than anything else is why I own a V11LM today. But at 17 large, you'd better believe that I'd still be riding almost anything else. Heck, for that money I want the MGS01, with the HiCam motor! Yes, I know that the article points out that the Harley gets $A 24k, but that's the whole "fashion over content" lifestyle issue that we're not going to go into here. Besides, you have to admit that H-D does deliver excellent QC these days, and their bikes hold their value pretty well (altho' those days may be coming to an end.)

 

I'm curious as to why Australia (which seems to have a decently robust, if small, MG community) is getting such a shaft on pricing, in comparison to brands which sell for as much of a premium stateside, or in the EC? Is it just that Guzzi, due to it's small production #s, is getting the shaft on shipping costs & passing it along? Yowzer: I can certainly see why it's in an Aussie's or Kiwi's interest to travel stateside, buy a bike here & use it for travel, & ship it home!

 

Here's to you Guzzi-riding Aussies:

You truly love the marque!

[not_scooter_Scura!]

 

Here's to you Guzzi-riding Aussies:

You truly love the marque!

57983[/snapback]

 

 

It's that old saying: "it's worth what you can get for it"

 

& we pay for the 'privelage', I am sure we get shafted with costs getting passed (& multiplied) along the way.

 

But, when a price is set...& it eventually sells, the price simply stays up.

 

Maybe it's a mentality thing, but when I say I paid 20K for a Guzzi - no one here goes "what?, how can they be that much"

 

they just go "wow, it must be quite a bike" & you know what...it is

 

not_scooter_Scura!

 

'down unda, Guzzi luva'